This collection is designed to allow teachers of young children to engage in standards-based study of the Hudson River.

• Package including teacher’s section and all K-3 lessons (PDF)
• Meet the Hudson River/Mapping the Hudson River (PDF)
• Growing Up as a Dragonfly (PDF)
• Growing Up as an American Eel (PDF)
• Growing Up as a Striped Bass/How Big? How Old? (PDF)
• Hogchoker Hunt/Camouflage Hunt (PDF)
• What Do Animals Need To Stay Alive? HABITAT! (PDF)
• What Do Animals Need To Stay Alive? FOOD! (PDF)

These lessons allow teachers to integrate study of the Hudson into instruction in English Language Arts.

Readings in Hudson River Natural History

• From the Mountains to the Sea (PDF)
• The Atlantic Sturgeon of the Hudson River (PDF)
• Bald Eagles of the Hudson River (PDF)
• The Eel’s Incredible Journey (PDF)
• Blue Claw! (PDF)
• Adaptations – Designs for Survival (PDF)
• Adapting to Estuaries (PDF)
• Alien Invasion! (PDF)
• Teacher Package for “Readings in Hudson River Natural History” (PDF)

Water Cycle Reading and Writing

Students will read a story about a water molecule’s journey through the water cycle and then write a similar story.

• Student Reading: “Walter the Water Molecule: Take a Journey Through the Water Cycle” (PDF)
• Teacher Package for “Water Cycle Reading and Writing” (PDF)

These lessons use Hudson River data to interpret information that require mathematic skills for their solution.

• Mathematics Lesson Package (PDF)
• Hudson River Miles Map (PDF) Note: The map is designed for legal (8.5 inches x 14 inches) paper to maximize legibility, but it will work on letter (8.5 inches x 11 inches) paper as well.

These lessons explore physical and life science topics related to the Hudson. They make use of data collected by scientists, students, and others studying the river.

Hudson River Miles Map (PDF) Note: The map is designed for legal (8.5 inches x 14 inches) paper to maximize legibility, but it will work on letter (8.5 inches x 11 inches) paper as

Dining Out With Fishes and Birds of the Hudson

• Student section for “Dining Out With Fishes and Birds of the Hudson” (PDF)
• Teacher section and answer key for “Dining Out With Fishes and Birds of the Hudson” (PDF)

Fish Communities in the Hudson

• Student section for “Fish Communities in the Hudson” (PDF)
• Teacher section and answer key for “Fish Communities in the Hudson” (PDF)

Which Fish Where?

• Student section for “Which Fish Where?” (PDF)
• Teacher section and answer key for “Which Fish Where?” (PDF)

Finding the Salt Front

• Student section for “Finding the Salt Front” (PDF)
• Teacher section and answer key for “Finding the Salt Front” (PDF)

The Hudson’s Ups and Downs

• Student section for “The Hudson’s Ups and Downs” (PDF)
• Teacher section and answer key for “The Hudson’s Ups and Downs” (PDF)

Mapping Where Animals Live

• Student section for “Mapping Where Animals Live” (PDF)
• Teacher section and answer key for “Mapping Where Animals Live” (PDF)

These Maps Are For The Birds

• Student section for “These Maps Are For The Birds” (PDF)
• Teacher section and answer key for “These Maps Are For The Birds” (PDF)

Science Lesson Package

• Science Lesson Package (PDF)

• The lower Hudson is an estuary in which salty seawater pushes upriver, diluted by fresh water as it moves inland. The leading edge of dilute seawater generally ranges between the Tappan Zee and Newburgh, depending on the volume of freshwater runoff from the watershed. The plants and animals found at any place in the estuary reflect the prevailing salinity at that site.
• Ocean tides influence the Hudson north to Troy, NY. The estuary typically experiences two high tides and two low tides each day. Organisms living in its shallows are adapted to survive and prosper while alternating between exposure to the air and submergence in water.
• In the Hudson, as in most ecosystems, solar energy captured by green plants is made available to food webs. However, much of the energy that fuels this ecosystem does not come from plants living in the estuary. Instead, it comes from the watershed as detritus – decaying organic matter such as tree leaves – that enters food webs via bacteria and invertebrates that eat detritus.
• Erosion, deposition, and other forces create habitats that support distinct communities of diverse plants and animals along the Hudson. Life in these habitats varies according to a mix of physical and chemical factors including depth, tides, salinity, and exposure to waves and ice.
• The Hudson estuary is an important component of larger regional ecosystems such the coastal Atlantic Ocean. It provides critical spawning habitat for valuable coastal fish including striped bass, wintering habitat for eagles from northern Canada, and rest stops for migratory species that travel through the system and beyond.
• The Hudson was a linchpin in Revolutionary War strategies, and as a result was memorialized as our first national river.
• The Hudson’s sea level course through the Highlands was key to realizing the dream of the Erie Canal, which made New York the Empire State and vaulted New York City to its leading role as a center of finance and trade. The river remains an important route for commerce today.
• Early in our history, Americans forged a national identity that valued the wild landscape of the Hudson Valley. The aesthetic appeal of wild nature, celebrated by painters and writers, led to the preservation movement and, in the crucible of the Storm King battle, the modern environmental movement.
• Once badly polluted with human sewage and industrial wastes, the Hudson is healthier now, thanks mainly to the Clean Water Act, which required sewage treatment and regulated other waste discharges. Remaining issues include non-point source pollution from the watershed and a legacy of toxic pollutants in sediments. The scale of physical alteration of the estuary by humans makes restoration of an idealized, pre-industrial ecosystem virtually impossible.
• Estuary management programs encourage input from many stakeholders to formulate policies guiding development in a context of environmental protection. Disputes over environmental impacts do arise and are resolved through the political process and a framework of legislation interpreted and enforced by regulatory agencies and the courts. Citizens play crucial roles as participants in this process and as stewards of the river.

• Turbidity and Salinity of the Hudson River (short video from NYSDEC)
• Estuary Water Demonstration (short video demonstration from NYSDEC)
• Tracking the Salt Front (lesson plan for Elementary Students) and Teacher Guide
• Finding the Salt Front (lesson plan for Middle School Students) and Teacher Guide
• Salinity Data Visualization (lesson plan for High School Students) with (Student 2008 Data & 
  Student 2009 Data)

• Hudson Fish and Climate Change (short video from NYSDEC)
• Climate Change and the Hudson River (High School student lesson plan from Cary Institute) and Answer Key (for teachers)
• Which Fish are Where? (Middle School student lesson plan from NYSDEC) and Answer Key (for teachers) 
• Bird, Butterfly, Eel (Elementary student story-time from NYSDEC)

• Global Sea Level (short video from NASA)
• Measuring Sea Level Rise (short video from NYSDEC) 
• Climate Change and Sea Level Rise Unit (lesson plans from Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies)
• Investigating Climate Change (Elementary School activities in Conservationist Kids)

• Microplastics and Marine Debris (NYSDEC Short Video)
• Hudson River Microplastics (NYSDEC Power Power Presentation)

Day in the Life of the Hudson River an incredible community education science event on the banks of the estuary. These videos portray river science through the eyes of the students, who can follow along with data collection sheets at home, and take a deeper dive with a guest scientist at the end of each video. The videos are divided by geography, from New York Harbor to the Troy Dam, and beyond. 

• Upper Estuary (Poughkeepsie to Troy and beyond):  Video/Data Sheet 
• Lower Estuary (Yonkers to Beacon/Newburgh):  Video/Data Sheet 
• NY Harbor (and connected waterways):  Video/Data Sheet 

• Clearwater Fish Key (online interactive fish identification tool)
• Identify Live Hudson River Fish (short video update from DEC Educators)
• Sturgeon Reading (short reading) and Sturgeon Adaptations in Hudson River (short video from NYSDEC Fisheries about Sturgeon)
• Fish Diagram (visual aid), Body Part Shapes of Fish (visual aid), and Fish Form and Function (lesson plan for individual work using visual aids)
• Clearwater Fish Quiz (short online fish quiz)

• Tide Finder (Short video about Hudson River Tides from DEC Educators)
• Tides (Short animated video from ORCA)
• Tides in the Hudson River (Short reading assignment from Cary Institute) and Tides Questions (student questions to accompany reading)
• Tides and Currents (Detailed reading from Cary Institute)
• Tidal Cycle on the Hudson River Estuary (Visual aid from Cary Institute)
• Hudson Ups and Downs (student lesson plan from the DEC) and Ups and Downs (teacher version with answer key)

• What is a Watershed? (short video about watersheds from DEC Educators)
• Watersheds! (animated video from the NOAA and NSF)
• Hudson River Watershed Map (detailed color map)
• Introduction to the Hudson River Watershed (powerpoint presentation from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies)
• What’s a Watershed? (reading) and Watershed Questions (reflection questions from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies)
• Model My Watershed (interactive webpage) and How to Model My Watershed (Student Lesson Plan and Teacher Key) 
• ​Water Cycle (interactive webpage)

• What is an Estuary? (short video update from DEC Educators)
• What is an Estuary? (short video from NOAA about National Estuarine Research Reserves around the nation)
• Estuaries: Nature’s Water Filters (online interactive presentation and game from NOAA)
• From the Mountains to the Sea (lesson plan for individual work at home)
• Test your Estuarine Knowledge (short online quiz)

We suggest beginning by watching the two short videos called “What is an Estuary?” by our DEC educators and by NOAA. We then suggest going through the “Estuaries: Nature’s Water Filters” online interactive presentation and game. From there you can do the individualized lesson plan called “From the Mountains to the Sea.” Then, after having watched the videos, completed the interactive presentation, and finishing at least one of the lesson plans, we suggest every student complete the “Test your Estuarine Knowledge” online short quiz.

• Hudson River Source to Sea (short video about the path of the river from DEC Educators)
• From the River to the Sea (short reading with reflection questions from DEC)
• River Runs Through It (mapping lesson plan from the DEC) and Teacher’s Version (with answer key)
• How Much Water is in That River? (math lesson calculating river volume from Cary Institute)
• River (video of DEC educator reading children’s book by Elisha Cooper)
• Source To Sea (video about Riverkeeper’s citizen science monitoring project by Jon Bowermaster)
• Meet the Hudson River (short reading with assessment from DEC)

We recommend beginning your exciting exploration of the entire path of the Hudson River with the short “Hudson River Source to Sea” video by our DEC educators. “From the River to the Sea” is a simple reading with reflection questions that we suggest next. For younger students, we recommend completing the “River Runs Through It”  lesson plan and watching the “River” story time video. And for older students, we suggest completing the “How Much Water is in That River?” lesson plan and viewing the beautiful “Source to Sea” video about Riverkeeper’s citizen science work. For an assessment of understanding for any age, we recommend reading and completing the mapping exercise called “Meet the Hudson River.” 

• Geology of the Hudson Valley (short video update from DEC Educators)
• Geology of the Hudson Highlands (online reading and video from Garrison Union Free School)
• Sedimentary Rock Formation (reading and lesson plan) 
• Common Fossils of New York (an identification key)
• Eurypterid Coloring Sheet (coloring page from NYS Museum)

We suggest you begin by watching the short video called “Geology of the Hudson Valley” by our DEC educator. Next, “Geology of the Hudson Highlands” is a wonderful resource with readings and a video for students. Then, we recommend looking at “Sedimentary Rock Formation” lesson plan and the “Common Fossils of New York” visual aid.  Younger students, will enjoy the “Eurypterid Coloring Sheet.”

• Birding on the Hudson River Estuary (short video update from DEC Educators)
• Black Birders’ Week (Audobon Society website)
• Live Bird Webcams (Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
• Visual Identification (Cornell Lab of Ornithology guide to bird identification)
• The Falconer (Film with watch parties)

• Seining for Fish (short video update from DEC Educators)
• Seining on the Hudson (short video NYSDEC from 2016) 
• Hudson River Almanac Seining Excerpts (reading on seining in the Hudson) 
• Conservationist for Kids Fishing! (publication for students about fishing in New York)
• Which Fish Where? (NYSDEC lesson plan for students) and Which Fish are Where? (teacher guide with answer key) 
• Day in the Life of the Hudson River Data (lesson plan interpreting seining data from Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory) and Day in the Life of the Hudson River Data (teacher guide with answer key)
• Create Almanac Observations (online form to submit observation of the natural world) and subscribe to The Almanac (weekly observations shared)

• Hudson River Valley Turtles (short video update from DEC Educators)
• Woodland Pool Habitat and Swamp Habitat (two short reading about Hudson Valley turtle habitats)
• Mapping Where Animals Live (lesson plan for individual work at home) and Answer Key
• Turtle Shells (lesson plan for individual work at home)
• Terrapin Nesting Project (short video from the Turtle Conservancy about saving turtles)
• Create Your Own Turtle (short activity to demonstrate turtle knowledge)

• Identification Sheet (simple identification sheet) 
• Aquatic Macroinvertebrates (short video update from DEC Educators)
• Aquatic Benthic Macroinvertebrate Presentation (power point presentation on macroinvertebrate collection and identification) 
• Macroinvertebrate Reading (short reading from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies)
• Macroinvertebrate Questions (reflection questions from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies) 
• Bridging the Watershed Game (online game from the Ferguson Foundation)
• Atlas of Macroinvertebrates (interactive visual aid for identification)

• Life Cycle Poster (illustration of Eel life cycle from DEC)
• The American Eel (short video update from DEC)
• ​Mapping the Migration of American Eels (lesson plan from DEC) and North Atlantic Map (for use with DEC lesson plan) 
• The Hudson River Eel Project (video about citizen science project with students)
• Silky Love (Radiolab podcast about American Eel reproduction and life history)

• Weird World of Vernal Pools (short video update from DEC Educators)
• Spotted Salamander Life Cycle (Life Cycle Poster and Podcast)
• Conservationist Kids Amphibian and Reptile Issue (DEC Magazine)
• Amphibian Migration Project (short video about NYSDEC citizen science) and Woodland Pool Conservation (NYSDEC webpage)
• Learn your Salamanders (identification sheet) and Salamander Identification Quiz (online game)

• Freshwater Tidal Marshes of the Hudson River (short NYSDEC education video) 
• Habitats (Conservationist Kids)
• Build a Marsh (Lesson Plan from Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies)
• Changes in Water Quality in Hudson River Wetlands (Data Jam from Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies)

• The Eel Story (Short storytime about eel life cycle from DEC Educators)
• Life Cycle Poster (illustration of Eel life cycle from DEC)
• The Incredible Eel  (short reading with reflection questions from the DEC)
• Growing Up as an Eel (lesson plan from the DEC)

• Dissolved Oxygen and Temperature of the Hudson River (short video from NYSDEC)
• Can the Ocean Run Out of Oxygen? (short video from Ted Talks)
• Day in the Life (short video from NYSDEC and Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory) and Data Sheet
• Understanding Dissolved Oxygen (NOAA lesson plan and data) and Teacher Guide